Wednesday, 2 January 2008

The Holidays

Looking back over what has happened over this years holiday period around the world is as depressing as ever, Java in Indonesia provided the traditional natural disaster with floods and landslides, Pakistan and Gaza had the appalling although not shocking political violence while the nomination races in the US presidential election predictably turned to mud slinging (I suppose given the Iowan weather that should be muddy ice ball slinging).Of course back home the news was mostly about the exciting ways people had to kill their children. Firstly we had the story of the Quad Bike accident in Essex which got worse with every update. Firstly we heard a child had died on a Quad bike, tragic, then we heard she was on the public highway, stupid, the next additional fact was that she was riding behind her father's car, idiotic, lastly we were told it was seven o'clock at night! I was at this point apoplectic with incredulity, given how dark it is at that time during the English Winter.Then a couple of days later an old favourite, the dangerous dog attack on a small child; this time not a pit bull but a rottweiler (I know they don't fall under the terms of the Dangerous Dogs Act, but they are dogs that are dangerous). I really do think that if you have a dog that is considered not suitable to be in the house, it is not suitable to have children anywhere near. Some people have suggested that the 16 year old aunt was too young to be looking after those children, I don't automatically agree, she may well be responsible enough for the job, but there is no doubt that a viciously beteethed guard dog doesn't play well with others. Perhaps it is time for another look at the Dangerous Dogs Act.

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

The term "dangerous dog" is, ahem, dangerously close to being an oxymoron. All but the smallest of these domesticated predators are more than capable of doing a great deal of damage to child if the mood comes upon them.

Thus breed-based legislation is IMO fundamentally flawed, and indeed it's difficult to think of a legal approach that's likely to have a significant impact short of banning the pet dog outright.